Living Zen

In this episode of Living Zen, Eshū reflects on two guiding phrases: the Zen teaching “To study the self is to forget the self…” and the Gàidhlig seanfhacal “Cuimhnich air na daoine às an tàinig thu” — remember the people you came from. As he returns to regular practice at Zenwest, Eshū speaks candidly about the pitfalls of spiritual bypassing, the power of ritual technologies like zazen and chanting, and the importance of community as a container for awakening. He explores how our practice is rooted not in escaping the past, but in embracing it — recognizing that our lives, our questions, and even our suffering arise from deep interwoven relationships, both ancestral and present. This talk invites us to turn toward our conditioning with compassion, to see practice as relational, and to remember those who brought us here — not just in blood, but in all the “selves” that shaped us along the way. Resources mentioned in this episode: Free Orientation to Zen course: zenwest.ca Support Eshū’s work and access more teachings: patreon.com/redmountainway Personalized mentorship and Zen training: monarchtrancework.com

This week there’s no Dharma talk from the Zendo — UVic was cleaning the carpets on Sunday, so our usual sit was cancelled. But I didn’t want to leave the Sangha hungry. Instead, I’m sharing this reflection on how Zen was “de-animated” when it came west — and how we might begin to re-animate it, in relationship with land, ancestors, and the many seen and unseen beings who share our world. It’s not doctrine; it’s just some thoughts I found worth writing down. May they serve you in some way. If this resonates (or even troubles you), I’d love to hear how. Zen has always been about companionship on the Way. Zenwest Buddhist Society: www.zenwest.ca — a living Zen community on Vancouver Island Monarch Trancework: monarchtrancework.com — for Zen orientation, mentorship, and integration work Support this work on Patreon: patreon.com/redmountainway

In this episode, we explore the long arc of practice — how insight and awakening might come suddenly, but true transformation takes slow, organic time. Like digestion or composting, it can’t be rushed. We reflect on moments of birth and death, on coming back to practice after seasons away, and on learning to pace ourselves at the endless feast of awakening. Whether you’re tasting your first bites or returning after time away, the Buddha’s buffet is always open. It’s good to be here together. I’m Eshū, Abbot of Zenwest Buddhist Society, where we make Zen come alive in contemporary community. At Zenwest we offer a fully online Free Orientation to Zen program here https://app.kit.com/landing_pages/77458?v=7 If you’d like support building a foundation for practice, I offer one-on-one Orientation to Zen Support here: https://monarchtrancework.com/orientation-to-zen-support For deeper mentoring and one-on-one guidance, you’ll find my Zen Mentorship & Training program here: https://monarchtrancework.com/zen-mentorship-training You can also join me on Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/redmountainway, where I share reflections, Zen resources, and more to support your path. If this talk nourishes you, please help others find it by rating, reviewing, or sharing. It makes a real difference — especially for those practicing far from a Zen centre.

In this talk, I explore how practice invites us to return again and again — to breath, posture, intention — dissolving fear and self-criticism, and opening to the quiet miracle of simply being here. When we give ourselves fully to this moment — to a bow, a breath, a meal, a conversation — life itself becomes the miraculous medicine this world so deeply needs. Thank you for listening, and for walking this path alongside me. • Support this work & get early access as a Patron: patreon.com/redmountainway • Free Orientation to Zen program: zenwest.ca • Orientation to Zen Support with Eshū: https://monarchtrancework.com/orientation-to-zen-support • Zen Mentorship & Training with Eshū: https://monarchtrancework.com/zen-mentorship-training With gratitude, Eshū

“The Dharma is being preached in everything." This Dharma talk, offered just after summer solstice, reflects on the rhythms of breath, season, and spirit. It explores the natural arising and dissolving that moves through our practice, our emotions, and our path — and invites us to rest in the still point between. Recorded in the Zenwest zendo and shared here on Living Zen – Red Mountain Way. Support this work and access more teachings at The Red Mountain Way on Patreon. If this offering supports you, please consider leaving a rating or review on your podcast platform. It really helps others find the path. Thanks for listening!

This episode is a quiet invitation to long-time listeners and new friends alike. After years of practice, storytelling, and podcasting, Eshū speaks directly to those who’ve walked this path with him—often at a distance—and shares the next steps in the journey, including a return to leadership at Zenwest and the weaving of many streams through Red Mountain Way. Join the Sangha. Join the kinship. The path is wide enough for all of us. ➤ Become a member of Zenwest: zenwest.ca/join-zenwest ➤ Support Red Mountain Way: patreon.com/redmountainway

This short preparatory session offers a gentle introduction to the themes and intentions behind Rewriting Money Stories, part of the Thought Pattern Trancework series. You’ll be guided through a few minutes of grounded presence, some light reflection on your current money narratives, and an orientation to the deeper trancework session available through Patreon or the Monarch Trancework website. This episode includes: A brief induction and settling An overview of the subconscious themes addressed Suggestions for how and when to listen to the full trance session A quiet close, perfect for listening before engaging the full work Show Notes This is a prep session — not the full trancework experience. Best experienced with headphones in a quiet space. The full 21-minute trance session is available to members on Patreon or for purchase at Monarch Trancework. Listen to the full session at: https://monarchtrancework.com Or support and access all sessions via Patreon: https://patreon.com/redmountainway

After a long hiatus, I’m returning to regular teaching in the Zendo with Zenwest — and inviting you to join me on a new path of practice and connection through my Patreon, The Red Mountain Way. Support the work: https://www.patreon.com/redmountainway Thank you for walking this path together.

In today’s episode, I’ll be sharing an active Trancework session that will provide resources for your subconscious mind to more quickly discern, clarify, express, and sustain healthy boundaries with others and with yourself. Almost everyone, at one time or another is going to run into challenges around the issue of boundaries – it might be one of the most important subconscious thought patterns to address well... and in this session, I’ve pulled out all the stops, and I’m confident this session won’t just transform your awareness and expression of healthy boundaries, but that you’ll genuinely enjoy it too! This session, and many others are also available to download, for FREE from the downloads page of my website. If you enjoy what I'm offering on the Living Zen Podcast, please let me know by commenting, and you can like, subscribe, and I'd love it if you share Living Zen with anyone you think will enjoy and appreciate it!

Almost everyone, at some point, runs into challenges, obstacles, or problems in their family, work, or intimate personal relationships - that at their root, involve issues around boundaries. Today’s session will provide you with the framework you need to be ready to start clarifying, expressing, and maintaining healthy boundaries! This preparation session will give you the framework to go forward with the active Trancework session, called “Healthy Boundaries” which I’ll be posting on the podcast later this week. You can download the mp3 of this session here. Find out more at www.monarchtrancework.com

In today’s episode, I’ll be sharing an active Trancework session will attune your subconscious mind to easily discern what is within your sphere of control, and what is not in your control; and to more effectively enjoy your life by making new choices, and creating new possibilities. Today’s episode is paired with the previous episode – which is a preparation session called “A question of Control”, so I’d recommend that if you haven’t already, you might want to start there so that this session is as impactful as it is intended to be. This session, and many others are also available to download, for FREE from the downloads page of my website. If you enjoy what I'm offering on the Living Zen Podcast, please let me know by commenting, and you can like, subscribe, and I'd love it if you share Living Zen with anyone you think will enjoy and appreciate it!

Today I’ll be sharing the preparation session for the next installment of the Thought Process Trancework Series which I’ve called “A Question of Control”, in which you’ll learn about how subconscious patterns that begin as natural survival responses become rigid, and overly-general rules that begin to be universally applied in our daily experiences, and can cause our lives to become increasingly smaller, and more anxious. I’m going to offer some understanding about two simple but serious errors that we can make in our thought processes that lead us to feel increasingly out of control, and gain insight into a new approach through which you can transform your thinking, behaviour, and as a result - your life - in incredible, and much more enjoyable ways! This session, and many others are also available to download, for FREE from the downloads page of my website. If you enjoy what I'm offering on the Living Zen Podcast, please let me know by commenting, and you can like, subscribe, and I'd love it if you share Living Zen with anyone you think will enjoy and appreciate it!

Today’s episode is an active Trancework session called “Choosing the Change”. Most people become aware when they are repeatedly doing something ineffective, or things that are creating misery or suffering in their lives. They might even plan to do something different next time... but when the next time comes... it’s like they just slip into the old ruts, and do the same old thing... and they get the same old results! In this Trancework Session, I use various techniques to offer your subconscious mind some new possibilities and perspectives that will open the doors to perceiving, and choosing to create new opportunities to move forward in your life in new, and different ways. This session, and many others are also available to download, for FREE from the downloads page of my website. If you enjoy what I'm offering on the Living Zen Podcast, please let me know by commenting, and you can like, subscribe, and I'd love it if you share Living Zen with anyone you think will enjoy and appreciate it!

Today I'm sharing the preparation session for the next installment of the Thought Process Trancework Series which I’ve called “Understanding Patterns”, in which we’ll be doing a deeper exploration into how subconscious thought patterns first come about often when we are really young, how they become established and essentially automatic – our default way of reacting – and how, often in spite of being aware of an unhelpful pattern, we can still find ourselves repeating the same mistake over and over. This session, and many others are also available to download, for FREE from the downloads page of my website. If you enjoy what I'm offering on the Living Zen Podcast, please let me know by commenting, and you can like, subscribe, and I'd love it if you share Living Zen with anyone you think will enjoy and appreciate it!

Today’s episode is an active Trancework session called “Foresight and Vision”. If this is your first time listening to Living Zen or this Thought Process Trancework series, I’d highly recommend that you go back to the beginning and start there, as each session builds on, and complements the last. Of course, each session is still highly effective on its own, but if you really want to enhance the impact of the sessions, do yourself a favour and take it from the top! In this Trancework Session, we’ll be reorienting the perspective of your subconscious mind to be more future oriented, and supporting you in clarifying and cultivating your vision... for your future. Naturally we all want “good things” to happen, and you likely want to “succeed” in the ways that are important to you... but have you ever really clarified what that actually means? What does that look like, in practical terms? If you were really successful, what would you be doing... and feeling... that you just aren’t doing now? In this session we’ll be setting your subconscious mind into motion on the task of clarifying where you want to be going, and beginning the step-by-step journey that takes you from where you are right now, to where you want to be. This session, and many others are also available to download, for FREE from the downloads page of my website. If you enjoy what I'm offering on the Living Zen Podcast, please let me know by commenting, and you can like, subscribe, and I'd love it if you share Living Zen with anyone you think will enjoy and appreciate it!

In this prep session, building on the last session, “Facing the Unkown”, we’ll explore and unpack our subconscious patterns around how and why we project negative past experiences forward, and how you can begin to transform this pattern into something much more beneficial, and satisfying. This session, and many others are also available to download, for FREE from the downloads page of my website. If you enjoy what I'm offering on the Living Zen Podcast, please let me know by commenting, and you can like, subscribe, and I'd love it if you share Living Zen with anyone you think will enjoy and appreciate it!

Today’s session is an active Trancework session that I’ve called “Facing the Unknown” that addresses problematic subconscious thought patterns that arise when we face circumstances, situations, environments, people... anything really... where the causes or outcomes or both... are unknown to us. Often our own minds prevent us from moving forward in our lives by projecting “worst case scenarios” from the shadows of our subconscious into any and every kind of ambiguity that we might face in our life, work, or relationships. This pattern does tend to preserve the known and familiar status quo, but far more often it obstructs us from moving forward, making needed changes, or taking reasonable risks as we pursue goals, aspirations, and even our deepest souls purpose. In this session, I’ll be offering your subconscious mind an entirely new way to approach the unknown that will open the doors to possibility and transformation in your life, your work, and your relationships. This session, and many others are also available to download, for FREE from the downloads page of my website. If you enjoy what I'm offering on the Living Zen Podcast, please let me know by commenting, and you can like, subscribe, and I'd love it if you share Living Zen with anyone you think will enjoy and appreciate it!

This Thought Process Trancework series explores subconscious thought patterns that we’ve all experienced at times. Generally, these patterns start out as efficiencies created by the subconscious mind to ensure survival, but as our environment and developmental stages change, these patterns often become far more problematic than beneficial, and at times can lead to deep or pervasive cycles of suffering. Originally, the core of these sessions came out of my exploration into Trancework processes in order to address issues like insomnia, chronic pain, addiction, anxiety and depression – and what I found was that there are a handful of specific thought patterns, almost like subconscious software, that in various combinations, underpin the vast majority of these issues. As I incorporated them into my practice, I came to see that everyone, including myself struggles with at least some of these patterns from time to time – particularly during periods of increased stress. I’ve structured the series in paired sessions; first a preface session where I outline the pattern that may be creating challenges, and then an active Trancework session which uses various techniques to shift the subconscious mind into more adaptive approaches. You’ll be able to tell the difference, because the Trancework sessions have a backing sound track that helps to facilitate access to deeper states of consciousness. This session, and many others are also available to download, for FREE from the downloads page of my website. If you enjoy what I'm offering on the Living Zen Podcast, please let me know by commenting, and you can like, subscribe, and I'd love it if you share Living Zen with anyone you think will enjoy and appreciate it!

As we go about living our lives, we have all kinds of experiences, both good and bad, and often our focus is on moving through challenges and adverse experiences as quickly as possible... and once we’ve done that, we seldom look back! Now... this isn’t necessarily a bad thing... it’s just that sometimes it results in us mentally or emotionally carrying around bits of unfinished business that are often years... or even decades old. The kinds of things that pop up into our awareness at the most inconvenient times... like when things are quiet at home... or when we’re finally able to lay down in bed... or when we’re trying to focus on that task that we really need to get done. This session will help you clarify the nature of the stuff that’s been lingering around in the shadows of your subconscious mind... and weighing you down. You can release what’s no longer needed, and bring into focus anything that might need a little more intention to unpack and process so that you can move forward on your journey. This session includes a prep session as well as an integration session, so you’ll need about 90 minutes to give yourself the time and space to get the most out of it. The integration session will also help you to better understand how your subconscious mind prefers to communicate, which will become very important as you move forward with Trancework. This session, and many others are also available to download, for FREE from the downloads page of my website. If you enjoy what I'm offering on the Living Zen Podcast, please let me know by commenting, and you can like, subscribe, and I'd love it if you share Living Zen with anyone you think will enjoy and appreciate it!

To download this session (and others) visit the downloads page of my website. You can contact me with comments at eshu@monarchtrancework.com I thought I'd begin with an experiential sample of what I offer in my practice at Monarch Trancework. In this episode, you'll hear a preparatory session, and active Trancework session, and an integration session afterwards. Doing the integration session immediately after the Trancework session is recommended, so you may want to be prepared with a pen or pencil, and some paper to write on. Enjoy! - Eshu